Bean Bags at School: When Kids Need to Chill

If you’re a teacher, your classroom probably has plenty of places to sit. After all, you have to have a desk and chair for each child so that they can learn each day. If you teach younger children, you might even have a few foam or vinyl mats in the room for either story time or naptime. However, if you want seating that is truly comfortable and quite popular with both kids and adults, consider purchasing bean bags for your classroom.

Some teachers do know the value of comfortable seating in their classroom, and may place small or large vinyl kids couches in the corners of the room. These can be great for reading time, play time, or as a treat for a child that does especially well in class that day. However, not every teacher can afford this type of classroom furniture. Furthermore, many cannot fit couches into their cramped classrooms. This is where bean bags come into play. They are smaller than couches in general, and also often less expensive so that you can get a few of them if they are indeed a hit in your classroom.

You might think they are too small for anyone to fit on, but there are a few different sizes. Of course, there are small bean bags available for one small child to fit perfectly on, but larger bean bags allow either older students to use them, or more to fit on at once. Similarly, there are several types of material available. If you want particularly soft seating that is comfortable any time of year, brushed cotton and suede are popular choices. Denim and vinyl bean bags are also on the market, so you certainly have choices.

You might choose to purchase bean bags that are all one color. These types of classroom furniture are not too distracting, and are appealing to both genders and all ages. Solid colors, such as green, red, blue, and brown, are considered timeless and can blend well with the rest of the classroom furniture. On the other hand, if you want students to get excited about this type of seating, or if your students are particularly young, they might appreciate some creativity. Many bean bags come in the style of different sports balls, such as baseball, football, soccer, and basketball. Others resemble beach balls, or feature adorable animals on them to catch the attention of kids of all ages.

No matter what you choose, it is clear that bean bags are fun, affordable, and flexible types of seating for the classroom. If you want to provide comfort and some fun to every student, purchase a few bean bags for them to use during play time, story time, or quiet time in general. Placing them near bookshelves can be the extra boost they need to pick up a book and not want to put it down because they are so content. Clearly, this can be the perfect new item for your classroom.

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Articles written by SensoryEdge are a combined effort of the SensoryEdge publishing staff. At SensoryEdge our focus is to educate, inform, and inspire each person caring for children to be and do their very best. It is not always easy and sometimes we don't take action (or we take the wrong action) because of a lack of understanding the real issues. We hope that the conversations that occur here will help in some small way better the lives of children, their families, and the professionals who work with them.
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